Ding!
[As the Cybertron Overlord, the host holds supreme authority over all Cybertronians created through this system. No Transformer can defy the will of the host. Absolute loyalty is permanently fixed at 100% for all Cybertronians under their command!]
[Please establish a base as soon as possible and begin registration within it!]
As the voice echoed in Martin's mind, his smile widened once again. Framed by his strikingly handsome features, that smile was broadcast across every screen and news feed around the globe.
To a world gripped by chaos, that smile became a beacon. A warmth surged through the hearts of millions, a sense of peace born in the eye of the storm.
In that moment, countless people, who had never heard his name before, began to admire, even revere, this mysterious new superhuman.
"His smile… it's beautiful."
"He's like Jesus, facing calamity with boundless optimism and grace."
Martin glanced back, eyes sweeping over the stunned military forces frozen in disbelief. He simply gave a lazy wave, then calmly stepped into his battered Volkswagen Beetle. With a soft rumble, the engine came to life, and he drove off at a leisurely pace.
The military's countless war machines parted to clear his path. Then, as if receiving a synchronized command, they disengaged, transforming back into their original, mundane forms.
But no one was fooled.
Everyone knew, if Martin so much as gave the order, these mechanical titans would instantly resume their combat forms and unleash devastation on any who stood against him.
In a world dominated by technological civilization, such power was tantamount to godhood.
To the power brokers of global superpowers, Martin was more than a strategic asset, he was The Walking Mechaclysm.
The chaos seemed to settle like dust after a storm. Survivors stumbled through the rubble, tending to their wounds in silence. Some wept quietly for loved ones lost. Others dropped to their knees, murmuring prayers, not to a god of old, but to the man who had just walked away.
In their eyes, anyone who could instantly command millions of mechanized soldiers, and perhaps more, was no less than a deity.
The God of Machines.
Across the globe, emergency meetings convened. In every corner of the intelligence world, analysts, generals, and advisors wore grave expressions. Those in power understood far too well what it meant for someone like Martin to exist in the modern world. His impact would dwarf that of any known superhero or supervillain.
He was a one-man army. A limitless force. And worst of all, they had no means of controlling him.
In a high-security global council chamber, Nick Fury stood, one hand clenched on the briefing table. His voice was low, yet charged with urgency.
"Ladies and gentlemen, there's no doubt, this man represents the most unprecedented threat and opportunity Earth has ever faced."
"Throughout human history, we've always found ways to face the unimaginable. Even Apocalypse, who awoke last century from ancient Egypt, was ultimately sealed away through collective effort. But this…"
"We don't even know the upper limit of how many mechanized soldiers he can deploy. Two million might be just the beginning. And these soldiers transform from basic machinery into advanced weapons in mere seconds. One man, on his own, could bring human civilization to its knees. And we have nothing in place that can stop him."
Even nuclear weapons were out of the question. After all, what launches a nuke if not machines? And wasn't a nuclear warhead itself a marvel of intricate mechanical engineering?
So long as it's a machine, it belongs to Martin. He holds supreme control.
"Therefore, I propose we fast-track the formation of a Special Response Metahuman Unit. We need a superpowered team of our own."
Fury's one eye burned with grim resolve.
...
Hydra's Hidden Base.
Madame Viper turned off the screen. She was silent for a moment, then smiled.
"Find a way to contact this man. Our dream of global domination needs him."
...
Somewhere in the Atlantic – A Steel Fortress.
Magneto slowly opened his eyes. He released his hold on the Earth's magnetic field, having already absorbed and decoded countless electromagnetic transmissions. He knew exactly what had happened.
"Brotherhood elites, assemble. We're going to New York."
"If any politician dares get in our way, we tear the walls down. Martin might be a mutant, and a Tier-4 at that. We must bring him into the Brotherhood!"
No one understood the value of a high-level mutant better than Magneto. He had long needed a worthy successor to inherit leadership of the Brotherhood. Among their ranks, not a single Tier-4 mutant met his exacting standards.
Of course, he had no idea that his own daughter, the Scarlet Witch, harbored power far beyond even his imagination.
The entire planet reeled from Martin's emergence. Countless organizations scrambled for response strategies.
Even the Inhumans, long relocated to their lunar refuge, couldn't remain silent.
Their king, Black Bolt, stood atop his sanctuary, silently gazing at the Earth. Though he had barely stepped into the echelon of Skyfather-tier power, he was one of the few who understood the scale of what was coming.
He said nothing.
But his silence was heavier than any thunder.